Hey all, haven't been here in a while but I ran into my first problem with my bike this Sunday and was hoping for some enlightenment.
I was riding over Trail Ridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park on my way home. Beautiful ride by the way!!!

Anyway, before i started up I had filled up and started the bike with out incident. Just before the visitor center at the top I had pulled out and stopped to take in the view...again, started up no problem. Rode all the way down to Estes Park, through Estes and down the canyon into a town called Lyons, again no problems.

I pulled into a gas station and filled up for the rest of the ride home (70 miles). Flipped the key, turned ignition on, pulled the clutch and hit the starter button....CLICK< CLICK CLICK< CLICK....nada.
It sure sounded like the started had given out...bummer...pushed the bike into a parking spot and tried again...nothing...just the starter clicking away...

Now this gas station was swarming with people and happened to be in the lowest part of Lyons (which means no hills really)...there was a guy on a sport bike taking a break...I asked if he could help me "pop" start my bike...he said sure and I pushed the bike over to a hardware store parking lot next door which had the most pitiful incline going down into the swarming pumps of the gas station.

He had never pop started a bike but I had cuz I knew I would need to someday so I gave him the drill...
"you push, I'll put it in third, turn on the ignition and "on" switch, keep the clutch in till we get to speed and pop the clutch"...right-o...here we go..."MAN...so close"...
lets try again...
after 3 tries this guy was losing steam and the speed was dropping...he was spent and the parking lot mayhem wasn't helping...lol

I thanked him and he went on his way...talked with another guy in a pickup and he offered to tow me somewhere, then offered to help me load the bike in his truck...I mentioned that it wieghed 350 lbs and we'd need a ramp to get it into his pickup...I also thanked him and he went on his way.

I began walking to town since my cell phone was dying and couldn't get a signal and also to scout out a hill I might be able to push the bike up to get it up to speed. This town was bustling because of a Bluegrass festival so there were lots of cars and riders everywhere. Most of them Harleys but really lots of riders. I was gonna ask for more pushes but this gas station just wasn't gonna cut it so I decided to find a hill.

I spoke with a guy selling neon signs at a roadside stand after he commented that I was going to wear a groove into the edge of the road (I walked passed him several times). Anyway, I told him my story and said I found a nice paved hill just up the road to push it up. I was kinda done with waiting to see if the bike needed to cool off so I started pushing it to the hill I saw...

Pushed the bike about 1/4 mile to the hill, crossed 4 lanes of traffic when I saw an opening, and then proceeded to push it up this hill about 100 yards. I had to stop a lot since it was hot and I'm small (145 lbs) and i'm 55 years old...LOL
Got to the top, went through my routine and started rolling down the hill...when it got to 15mph I pop the clutch and hit the starter at the same time just for good measure....BOOM!...
It fired right up and I was a very happy camper!!! I crossed the 4 lanes of traffic and pulled over by the guy selling Neon signs. Without thinking I kicked the kickstand out and it immediately died.....OH NOOOOOOO!!!!
(Forgot about the kickstand switch or putting it in nuetral or any of the things you supposed to do when you stop...remember I was tired and hot so gimme a break)
I turned around and did the same routine (yes, back up the hill of sorrows!) but this time I got on the bike I made sure I had my riding leathers and helmet on. Fired it up again and headed back to Denver without stopping once....
End of story

Now the question...
This has never happened before. The starter was super hot when it wouldn't fire and I had come down off the pass using mostly engine braking. after I got home my starter has still very warm to the touch for hours and just clicked like before. I plan to try it after work today but what say yee of more mechanical knowledge than me? Is this a starter problem or a could it be something else?
Thanks for listening!

You didn't say why you had so much issue with push starting.
Either you were skidding to a stop or chugging with no joy.
3rd maybe too slow to get a good start.
I use 1st, but you gotta make sure the engine is on the exhaust stroke before you try. The engine is on the exhaust stroke when you can operate the decomp lever by hand w/o much force.  Just put the tranny in 4th and bump it forward 'till you can operate the lever.  Never backward... you'll bust out your starter.

verslagen1 wrote on 08/19/13 at 09:00:11:


Well.....he sorta did.  He is 55 and weighs 145 pounds!  I am 5'-8" and weigh 156 and I am 57 years old.  I go to the gym every morning and work out hard.....and on Saturday I ran a 5K race and came in 1st in the 50-59 class and 4th overall......and I cannot push start my bike on level ground.  If I am in the lower gears the back wheel just slides when I pop the clutch and even bouncing on the seat as I let out the clutch doesn't help..  When I am in a higher gear I may get the engine to turn over once or twice and maybe even "POP".....but I can't get the clutch pulled in fast enough to keep it running.  1st through 3rd gears gets me a slding back wheel and a quick stop.......4th and 5th gets a pop or two before I come to a stop.  Trying to push the starter button doesn't help as the starter circuit is disabled when you click the bike into gear and the neutral light goes out.  I got stranded once with a dying battery and my wife and I pushed it all around a flat river bottom gas station lot and there was "NO JOY".  We finally jumped the starter wtih a car battery and cables.......and got back home.

Now that my bike is converted to have a manual compression release....I bet I could make it work!

BUBBA:  I am envious of the riding territory you have avaible.  I have been to Estes Park, Denver, Leadville, Longmont and all those areas - but it was in a car.

Dave wrote on 08/19/13 at 10:04:38:
I'm 55, 240 and I'd only have beat you if the ambulance was going the same way.
Quote:

My tach said the starter turns over about 300 rpm.
Others have said idle in 1st is about 12 mph.
this equates to 6 mph which is about as fast as I can go.
the starter button method works if your battery is weak, but turns the starter good still.  If your safeties don't allow you to use the starter with the clutch pulled in, kickstand up, in gear... then something is wrong with your wiring.

The starter button method is push the button let it turn over once then pop the clutch... no need to let go of the starter button, it's automatic.  just let go before you pull in the clutch again.

safety operation:

clutch lever pulled in, kick stand up, in gear, push the button and it starts.

clutch lever pulled in, kick stand up or down, in neutral, push the button and it starts

clutch lever pulled in, kick stand down, in gear, push the button and nothing happens.

clutch lever out, kick stand up or down, in neutral or in gear, push the button and nothing happens.

verslagen1 wrote on 08/19/13 at 12:10:39:



What about in gear, stand Up, lever in?

Nope, nope, no lysdexia,, none at all,, yank thou,,

Dooooh,, I feeel soo STEWPID

Hey thanks Digger...I've actually seen your rig in another post somewhere on here.
Definitely something to consider. This was the first time my bike has ever let me down...of course my stock battery also died after 9 years...i knew I was pushing it past it's useful life...
It just decided to conk out at the most inopportune time...